Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-02-22

How Mistakes Are Sometimes Made.
Troublesome Women Clients-Desire
for Litigation.
People who visit the offices of prominent
lawyers find that they are usually cooped
up in little dens of their own, and laby-
rinthine passages and inquisitive clerks
bar the wey. Those who are known to
have important business with the firm
are readily admitted to the inner cham
ber bat strangers are examined ard cross
examined and their intentions thoroughly
sifted before they can gain access. This
exclusiveness is matter of protection,
and while the incivility of clerks and
middle men may be irving to the temper of
person having a right in the Office, yet
such course must be taken or the law
yers would have their hands full of busi-
ness in which there was no money, and
be driven TO the verge of suicide by bores.
The reception room, - said the chief
clerk of d large law firm to a reporter,
mas many queer people in it al times.
There are d SET of cranks of the most an
moving kind who make the rounds of the
leading law firms in the city. They are
born litiganls Some of them have
money; the most of them have none.
Whenever a man comes into an Office for
the first time and unrolls an old map or
any other document with the yellow tinge
of age on it the guns are Mt once trained
on him. Mistakes are sometimes made.
1t does not always do to size up man
from appearances. My resignation was
asked once because sat down hard on a
client who could sign his check for mill
ion but looked like a tramp. That's one
ways look like it,
HARD TO GET RID OF.
The people who own half the city and
can prove it and those who are interested
in inventions and patents are the hardest
to get lid of If they can get hold with
an eyclid they will never let go. They
have plausible stories all. and insist on see
ing the head of the firm. Sometimes they
do get an audience, and as long as they
pass the outer gate he thinks they are
all right and takes an interest in the busi,
ness. One smart fellow got us to bring
a suit for damages against well known
business man. Our client had documen-
tary proof that made a splendid case and
would have stood in any court, but when
the case came to trial ii was shown that
the people and facts were drawn from
his own imagination and the case was
thrown out of court 1t was the third
time he had fooled lawyer but as he
paid for his fun no hearts were broken.
The women clients of this kind are the
most troublesome They insist on seeing
the head Of the firm without telling theiI
business to any one else. To tell them q
little lie about his being out is no good
fer they will sit the whole day, if neCes
saTy. to test the statement. There art
three or four women who have money and
spend their time going the rounds of the
prominent lawyers, trying to enlist them
in some Imaginary suit. They Will put
up retainer, if asked to, hut woe be tC
the man who takes it. A trip to Europe
is the only means Of escape. They vii.
bring a suit on the slightest preterse, hui
usually there is no ground for complaint
The desire to litigate seems TO be over
pGwering. One Of the women visits the
courts regularly, has picked up a gooC
knowledge of law and Can ask question:
that would make the oldest practitionel
scratch his head. Nearly all these pecul
ar people are eccentric or mentally IN
sound and most of them really believe
that they have been injured and are en-
ti.ied 10 redress At one time there wers
several fine looking women who sought L
get an audience with first class lawyers a!
well as business men for blackmailing pur
noses and il is n rule in some offices tha'
strange women are never seen by any
member Of the firm except when wit
nesses are present 1t is a peculiar thing
that women clients who have legitimat,
business in court form violent antipathy
against any one who is opposed 10 then
and do not hesitate TO make known theil
intense hatred by word and manner. -
| New York Tribune